Which Candidate’s Spanish Won The Democratic Debates?

Both nights of Democratic primary debates saw heated discussions from 10 presidential candidates (20 in total) on policy and politics, but some of the more memorable moments were the ones not spoken in English. Three candidates — Representative Beto O’Rourke, Senator Cory Booker, and former Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Julián Castro — broke into Spanish during the first night of the debate, and Mayor Pete Buttigieg showed off his Spanish skills the second night. But who won the Spanish debate? And which candidates could use a little more practice?

Watch the clips below and see how our Spanish language experts graded each candidate’s performance.

Representative Beto O’Rourke

Thoughts on Beto O’Rourke answering his first question tonight partly in Spanish:

Dylan is Babbel USA’s senior content producer. He studied journalism at Ithaca College and previously managed social media for CBS Evening News. He’s currently pursuing his MBA part-time at NYU Stern. His interests include podcasts, puppies, politics, alliteration, reading, writing, and dessert. Dylan lives in New York City.

Dylan is Babbel USA’s senior content producer. He studied journalism at Ithaca College and previously managed social media for CBS Evening News. He’s currently pursuing his MBA part-time at NYU Stern. His interests include podcasts, puppies, politics, alliteration, reading, writing, and dessert. Dylan lives in New York City.